The True Meaning of Alternative Medicine


Alternative medicine is a type of therapeutic practice that is not considered to be a part of traditional or conventional medical treatment. People use alternative medicine instead of using traditional medical treatment. This is often because they feel it is a natural way to get better.

There are many types of alternative medicine. Some are covered by medical insurance, but most are not. Some forms of alternative medicine that may be covered are chiropractic and osteopathic therapy. These forms of alternative medicine are widely used.

There are other forms of alternative medicine that are not as widely used, but are becoming more popular by the minute. These are: massage therapy, therapeutic touch, folk medicine, herbal medicine, special diets, homeopathy, music therapy, aromatherapy, naturopathy, faith healing, and new age healing. There are also some non-western forms of alternative medicine such as: Chinese medicine, gi gong, reiki, and ayarveda.

There are some less commonly practiced forms of alternative medicine as well. One is called biofield therapy. This is a form of alternative medicine that works with your so called "energy fields" to heal you. Another is bioelectrical magnetic therapy. This alternative medicine uses pulse and magnetic fields to heal you.

Alternative medicine is quite popular for people who are terminally ill. Many AIDS and cancer patients prefer it. An example of this is a cancer patient who uses alternative medicine instead of receiving traditional chemotherapy or radiation therapy. People also use alternative medicine to heal ailments such as back pain or migraines. Instead of traditional painkillers, the patients would use aromatherapy, sound therapy or herbal therapy. Alternative medicine is even used on animals. Have you ever seen the movie "The Horse Whisperer?" That was about a form of alternative medicine used on an animal. Acupuncture, herbal therapy, and others have also been used on animals.

The last thing you should know is that there is no scientific evidence that alternative medicine is effective. There have been no scientific studies to prove if they are safe or if they work for the diseases or ailments they are used for. Before using an alternative medicine, talk to your doctor, make sure your doctor feels it is safe and will not harm you.

There are many different kinds of alternative medicines to choose from. Now that you understand it a bit better, you can decide if it is right for you. For more information talk to your doctor or research it online. With careful research, you may find one that is right for you.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.info-meds.info a blog focusing on the Medical, resources and articles. This site provides detailed information on medicines. For more info on medicines visit: http://www.info-meds.info







Related News




Most Patients Should Be Screened for HIV, Physicians’ Group Says - New York Times

WAVY-TV

Most Patients Should Be Screened for HIV, Physicians’ Group Says
New York Times, United States -2 hours ago
Just 50 to 100 of the nation’s 5000 emergency rooms routinely test for HIV, said Dr. Richard Rothman, associate professor of emergency medicine at Johns ...
World AIDS Day Calls For HIV TestingeMaxHealth.com
Doctors: Test All Patients Over 13 for HIVWebMD
Guideline Urges HIV Tests for All Patients 13 and OlderWashington Post
MedPage Today - MarketWatch
all 54 news articles

Pediatricians and the Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding - Archives of Pediatrics

Pediatricians and the Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding
Archives of Pediatrics -4 hours ago
Author Affiliations: Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Cooper University Hospital, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New ...
Adult medicine enters the medical homeAAP News (subscription)
all 2 news articles

Spirituality, Evidence-Based Medicine, and Alcoholics Anonymous - Am J Psychiatry (subscription)

Spirituality, Evidence-Based Medicine, and Alcoholics Anonymous
Am J Psychiatry (subscription) -7 hours ago
For example, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a self-designated "spiritual fellowship," is a useful adjunct to the practice of evidence-based addiction medicine. ...

Three FAAPs elected to Institute of Medicine - AAP News (subscription)

Three FAAPs elected to Institute of Medicine
AAP News (subscription) -7 hours ago
Three AAP Fellows were among 65 new members elected to the Institute of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine that ...
FELLOWS IN THE NEWSAAP News (subscription)
Lake Tahoe hosts Practical Pediatrics, offers range of seminarsAAP News (subscription)
all 3 news articles

China Medicine Corporation Awarded GSP Certification - MarketWatch

China Medicine Corporation Awarded GSP Certification
MarketWatch -10 hours ago
("China Medicine" or "the Company"), a leading developer and distributor of prescription and over the counter pharmaceuticals, traditional Chinese medicines...

FDA continues gathering information on cough medicine use in children - AAP News (subscription)

FDA continues gathering information on cough medicine use in children
AAP News (subscription) -7 hours ago
Cough and cold products are among the most widely used medicines in children. These drugs, which treat symptoms not the underlying disease, fall into four ...

Effort in Senegal to Join Traditional & Conventional Medicine - Voice of America

Voice of America

Effort in Senegal to Join Traditional & Conventional Medicine
Voice of America -8 hours ago
By Scott Bobb Traditional medicine was once thought of as sorcery or quackery. But the craft is slowly gaining the respect of conventional medical ...
Modern West African Market Offers Traditional Remedies for IllnessVoice of America
all 2 news articles

Organogenesis Receives Two Prestigious Awards for Economic Impact ... - MarketWatch

Organogenesis Receives Two Prestigious Awards for Economic Impact ...
MarketWatch -7 hours ago
Organogenesis was the first company to successfully mass produce living regenerative medicine products -- reaching hundreds of thousands of patients in the ...

Cardiologists Debate Expensive Heart Scans - New York Times

Cardiologists Debate Expensive Heart Scans
New York Times, United States -7 hours ago
In the latest study, published last week in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers assessed the accuracy of CT angiography in identifying ...
Heading off heart attacks in womenChicago Daily Herald
all 3 news articles

New Marketing Coaching and Consulting Firm for Physicians ... - MarketWatch

New Marketing Coaching and Consulting Firm for Physicians ...
MarketWatch -9 hours ago
"There are a growing number of physicians making the switch to concierge medicine, but they either don't know how to effectively convert their existing ...